This study investigates the differential treatment efficacy of Experiential Systemic
Therapy (ExST) with a comparison treatment called Supported Feedback Therapy (SFT) as
it is applied to the problem of alcohol dependency. The inquiry also compares the treatment
effectiveness of ExST when offered to the individual alcoholic (ExST-I) and when provided
in couples therapy conjoint treatment (ExST-C).
An ecological approach to assessment was developed for the investigation. Selfreport
questionnaires tapping an array of areas including indices of alcohol use,
intrapersonal functioning, couples adjustment, and family characteristics were employed to
measure treatment effects from the perspectives of father, mother, and eldest child.
Participating families met inclusion criteria including an alcoholic dependent father and a
non-alcohol abusing mother in a state of marital distress residing in an intact family situation
with at least one child living at home.
One hundred and fourteen families were randomly assigned to participating
therapists and one of three treatment conditions including ExST-I, ExST-C,or SFT. Therapy
was conducted at two out-patient clinics, one located in an urban setting and the other
operating in a rural context. Data were collected from all participating families before and
after treatment. Data were also gathered at a three month follow-up from participants in
the ExST-I and ExST-C treatment conditions.
The results of the mixed model multivariate analyses indicated that there were no
significant differences between ExST and SFT evident at post-treatment; however, both
treatments were found to have promoted highly significant improvements on measures of
drinking behavior, intrapersonal symptomology, marital adjustment and family satisfaction.
When ExST-I and ExST-C were compared, the results revealed no significant differences
between the treatment formats although both parents reported highly significant post
treatment changes on all instruments. Additionally, the significant changes associated with ExST-I and ExST-C which were reported by both parents at post-treatment were found to be
equally durable at the end of a three month follow-up. The results of the analyses based on
the eldest child’s perspective showed that the assessments of family satisfaction were
unaffected by the treatment conditions and remained consistent across all measurement
occasions.
Within system analyses which provided detailed examination of the magnitude of
changes reported by both parents at post-treatment were performed. The within system
results based on measures probing the assessment domains of alcohol, intrapersonal, couple
and family from the father and mother perspectives, revealed that the improvements
achieved by the treatments were far reaching and touched a wide array of areas in
statistically significant and clinically relevant fashions.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/6940 |
| Date | 05 1900 |
| Creators | Grigg, Darryl Norman |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Relation | UBC Retrospective Theses Digitization Project [http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/retro_theses/] |
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